Here's What You Need to Know About Harry Partch (Infographic)

Here's What You Need to Know About Harry Partch (Infographic)

Composers like Harry Partch don't come along every day, or year, for that matter. This American iconoclast did things his own way, not only living as a hobo for a few years and teaching himself music in the local public library, but also inventing an entirely new musical scale and building his own arsenal of instruments made out of old violas, organs, car horns and Pyrex carboys (such DIY hybrids wouldn't have looked out of place at a Maker Faire). The instruments were so unique, and so hard to replicate, that performances of his works have been few and far between, as only one complete set of Partch's instruments has existed – until now.

To make the most of these pieces, and to understand Partch better, check out the infographic below, which highlights some of the composer's more interesting instruments, and briefly explains his 43-pitch microtonal scale.